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David Welch

@welchdavid.bsky.social
320 followers 234 following 21 posts

Phylo, dynamics, epidemiology, data sci, computational biology University of Auckland Also building urban cohousing in Auckland, NZ as Cohousing Projects. See cohaus.nz

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Reposted by David Welch
Kristian G. Andersen @kgandersen.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Just a friendly reminder that plague is prevalent, including in the western United States (see, prairie dogs), with multiple cases annually. It is also highly treatable and, yes, lab acquired infections (incl. fatal cases) have happened over the years, including e.g., UChicago.
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BK. Titanji @boghuma.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
The mysterious death of a scientist at a plague institute in Siberia has sparked “next pandemic” panic. I wrote about what we know, what we don’t, why plague is not the Black Death in 2026 and the real outbreaks we ignore while worrying about hypothetical ones. bktitanji.substack.com/p/plague-is-...
bktitanji.substack.com
Plague is Scary but That Doesn’t Make It the Next Pandemic.
Why a mysterious death in Siberia has captured our attention while far more consequential outbreaks struggle to do the same
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Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Hey Angie, I have a question. It is about: Lesbians COVID Western Massachusetts Fighting on social media about public health policy … Goddammit, I hate being uniquely qualified for everything rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/a-deep-div...
rasmussenretorts.substack.com
A Deep Dive into the Last Ditch by an Expert on COVID and Western Massachusetts Lesbians
I am a bisexual virologist who studies emerging coronaviruses, a Smith College alumna, and a veteran lesbian social critic. Ask me anything about respiratory raw-dogging your next Feeld date
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David Welch @welchdavid.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Got 13/15 but only but process of elimination and some lucky guesses. My daughter is subjected to this food daily and it is horrible. Among the multitude of reasons not to vote Act, this is one of the more visceral ones.
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Reposted by David Welch
Nick Baker @nickbaker.digital · 27/09/2026
This is your school holiday assignment. Complete the school lunch quiz by matching the image to the name - a quiz based on the school lunch images sent by @ninjakitty.bsky.social this past school term. There are 15 images in total. forms.gle/et7qDL4VGBJH...
forms.gle
The Aotearoa New Zealand School Lunch Quiz
The images show 15 school lunches delivered to a school in August 2026. Your task is to pick the name that was assigned to each one.
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Gir @edufk.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
"New Zealand First appears to have copied most of its health policy from a natural health advocacy group - even going so far as to copy a typo from the group’s website into their official policy documents." www.stuff.co.nz/politics/361...
stuff.co.nz
NZ First’s health policy copy-pasted from advocacy group’s website
New Zealand First released a health policy on Sunday that is largely copy-and-pasted from a charitable trust called Make New Zealand Healthy.
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David Welch @welchdavid.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Govt planning cuts to BRANZ which does building and materials research in NZ. I'm currently building a 35 unit development, at ~$1M per unit. Levy was $420 per unit. Would happily pay more $ for research -get a wider range of approved materials and lower costs. #nzpol www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...
rnz.co.nz
Decades of building industry research at risk
The future of our world-respected building research association is looking shaky with a government move to cut the dedicated levy that funds it.
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Andrew Gelman et al. @statmodeling.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Bayesian Workflow free pdf! statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2026/08/25/b...
statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu
Bayesian Workflow free pdf! | Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science
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Anna Santure @annasanture.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
University of Auckland is looking for: Lead Technologist – Genomics - Te Kura Mātauranga Koiora | School of Biological Sciences in Auckland, New Zealand. jobs.smartrecruiters.com/TheUniversit...
jobs.smartrecruiters.com
Lead Technologist – Genomics - Te Kura Mātauranga Koiora | School of Biological Sciences
Company Description:  Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of AucklandKo te whare Pūtaiao | The Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland is the largest and most highly...
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Reposted by David Welch
Kristian G. Andersen @kgandersen.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
We have a (dry lab) Postdoc Position in Viral Genomics & Pathogen Surveillance here in wonderful and sunny San Diego 🏄‍♂️☀️! We're looking to continue to build our AI and broader infectious disease surveillance efforts, with a focus on our outbreak.info platform. Read more: andersen-lab.com/about/
andersen-lab.com
About | Andersen Lab
Learn more about the Andersen Lab, as well as jobs and career opportunities.
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David Welch @welchdavid.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Really good study here about media coverage of covid origins. Despite all the scientific evidence pointing at a zoonotic origin, major US outlets publish much more about a lab leak. And on youtube, engagement with pro-lab leak videos completely dominates.
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Reposted by David Welch
Philipp Markolin @philippmarkolin.eurosky.social · 18/08/2026
In 2026, there is no longer any lab leak hypothesis you can state consistently with the available evidence. Despite this, it has been the dominant media narrative for six years. Read my new data-driven investigation: www.protagonist-science.com/p/biased-med...
protagonist-science.com
Biased media coverage and the lab leak theory
Gain-of-function fearmongering and blame gets the glitzy NYT visual treatment as Republicans weaponize the lab leak theory again in attacks on Dr. Anthony Fauci
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David Welch @welchdavid.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Agree Te Pāti Māori shouldn't be trying to engineer an overhang. What's a good way of making sure an overhang is not possible while still retaining proportionality? Having just have one vote so that the party and electorate vote are the same? thespinoff.co.nz/politics/19-...
thespinoff.co.nz
Te Pāti Māori will be in risky territory if it tries to engineer an overhang
Exploitation of the overhang loophole has always been possible, but no party has tried it because of how voters are likely to react.
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David Welch @welchdavid.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Prob not something I'd skite about to a journalist.
“I had a young boy once running around like a lunatic,” says Boulgaris. “He would have been four or five, and he was out of control, and the mother wasn’t controlling him, and then he ran to the fishbowl, pulled the fish out of the fishbowl and threw them on the floor. When his mother wasn’t looking, I went and stood on his foot, and I squeezed his foot so hard he screamed in pain, and he knew he was in trouble and then I walked away, and he was too petrified to tell his mother what had happened.” Boulgaris returned the fish, unharmed, to the fishbowl.
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Reposted by David Welch
Perception / i-Perception @pec-ipe.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
🌊 👀 Can two simple patterns create something that really isn't there? This new paper introduces Dynamic Illusory Waves (DIWAs)—a striking illusion where relative motion gives rise to flowing, transparent phantom surfaces. Make your own: maltacogsci.org/diwa/ Full paper: doi.org/10.1177/2041...
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samuel mehr @mehr.nz · 06/08/2026
Reuben Davidson with a good speech in parliament on the shocking cuts to New Zealand science Davidson actually showed up to my office at Auckland Uni (!!) to discuss how scientists need to be supported in this country, and how to ensure we don't lose a generation of boffins to foreign shores #nzpol
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Musical Chairs @musicalchairs.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Regular viewers will know that I had serious doubts about the 'recovery' well before Trump decided to cause global chaos (and trading opportunities for his buddies). Suffice to say, today's unemployment data is GRIM! Let's have a look... Unemployment rate vs the guesses of clueless ghouls. [🧵 1/n]
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Simon J. Greenhill @simongreenhill.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
MBIE has released the details on the New Zealand's "Transition Research Fund". It transitions research the way a hospice transitions patients. scienceskillsandinnovation.cmail20.com/t/r-l-tujiik...
scienceskillsandinnovation.cmail20.com
Transition Research Fund 2027 | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
The 2027 Transition Research Fund ensures we continue to support great ideas from inception all the way through to the benefits they deliver for New Zealand. The fund supports high quality foundationa...
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Reposted by David Welch
Simon J. Greenhill @simongreenhill.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
This is possibly the most blatant case of citation farming I've seen. Quality control at Elsevier: www.chrisbrunet.com/p/third-edit...
chrisbrunet.com
Third Editor Fired in Elsevier's Citation Cartel Crackdown; Hundreds of Papers At Risk of Retraction
"This is not a series of coincidences; it is a blatant, industrial-scale quid pro quo."
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David Winter @dwinter.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Cool slow-burning story I got to be a little part of www.phfscience.nz/news-publica... Way back in 2010 the enteric lab here at PHF Science got a Yersinia isoalte that quite fit with what we expect from Y. enterocolitica. We got a few more of these over time and built some tools to track them
phfscience.nz
Back to the future: discovery of a new bacterial species, decades in the making
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Michael Plank @michaelplanknz.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
This divide and conquer nonsense undermines trust in our scientists - by @nicgaston.bsky.social newsroom.co.nz/2026/04/24/t...
newsroom.co.nz
This divide and conquer nonsense undermines trust in our scientists
Comment from Auckland University: ‘Accountability’ is wielded against scientists, while politicians and bureaucrats are shielded
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David Welch @welchdavid.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Super happy to have a chance to help @siouxsiew.bsky.social after her epic few years of work which which was rewarded by her employer (also my employer) battling her in court over whether scicomm is real academic work (law said it is). Please support her if you can www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/852...
pledgeme.co.nz
Support Dr Siouxsie After She Supported Us! | PledgeMe
Support Dr Siouxsie to recover some of the money she spent fighting her legal case to protect employees experiencing online abuse
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Janine Paynter @janinepaynter.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
About measles, the risks and the best protection you can get by my fantastic colleagues theconversation.com/nz-may-be-on...
theconversation.com
NZ may be on the cusp of another measles outbreak – what happened in 2019 should be a warning
Only about 82% of two-year-olds are fully immunised against measles, with two doses of the vaccine. This leaves at least one in five unprotected.
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Assiduously Julie @awaterevalley.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
👏👏👏 University of Auckland ordered to pay scientist Siouxsie Wiles $205,000 in court costs www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/siouxsie-...
nzherald.co.nz
'Tsunami of threats': Auckland uni ordered to pay Siouxsie Wiles $205k
The final amount was more than Wiles first sought from her employer.
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Andrew Rambaut (🐏🎀) @arambaut.bsky.social · 25/05/2025
A long thread about mpox and the context specific nature of outbreaks prompted by the large outbreak of MPXV Clade IIb happening at the moment in Sierra Leone:
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Kristian G. Andersen @kgandersen.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
Since the NYT Armchair Brigade is at it again, let me just share a few public quotes made in May, 2020. 1️⃣ "Even Kristian Andersen [.] first thought that COVID-19 was just as likely to have been accidentally released from a lab as it was to have come from nature" www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/sci...
cidrap.umn.edu
Scientists: 'Exactly zero' evidence COVID-19 came from a lab
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Shaun Hendy @hendysh.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
The Covid Response will be launched tomorrow in Wellington at the Royal Society Te Apārangi. There will be copies for purchase and Susie Ferguson and I will be talking about the book - and our pandemic response and preparedness - from 6-7pm www.bwb.co.nz/events/the-c...
bwb.co.nz
'The Covid Response' by Shaun Hendy - BWB Talks, Wellington! - BWB Bridget Williams Books
Bridget Williams Books invites you to a BWB Talk in Wellington with Shaun Hendy in conversation with Susie Ferguson, discussing his new book, The Covi...
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Michael Plank @michaelplanknz.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
We are advertising two PhD scholarships to work on models of the interaction between ethnicity and infectious disease dynamics at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Open to international students. Please share! www.findaphd.com/phds/project... @iddjobs.bsky.social
findaphd.com
Modelling the interaction between ethnicity and infectious disease dynamics at University of Canterbury on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Modelling the interaction between ethnicity and infectious disease dynamics at University of Canterbury, listed on FindAPhD.com
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Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Grateful to @smritimallapaty.bsky.social for covering our analysis of host transcriptional infection signatures at the Huanan market! Still not the “smoking raccoon dog” but getting closer… www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Sick animals suggest COVID pandemic started in Wuhan market
A preliminary analysis takes a closer look at genomic data collected at the market.
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Nicola Gaston @nicgaston.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
First thing written. Need to walk it off and then will write the longer follow up 🤷‍♀️ #MarsdenSchmarsden
I am horrified by today’s announcement. I am absolutely disgusted by the way that the kind of science I, and my colleagues do – as physical scientists involved in research that is purposeful, focused on solutions to climate and sustainability challenges, that do have real economic value – is being weaponised against our colleagues in the humanities and the social sciences.
 
The work that our colleagues in the humanities and social sciences do is incredibly important. We can do all the work in developing clean technologies we want, but if we don’t understand the barrriers to people purchasing that tech? It becomes useless.
 
We need scholars who work in the arts, in the social sciences, who ask questions about who we are and why. We need these people not only so that they may publish their work – and it is fair to consider that esoteric at times – but so they may teach the next generation. Teaching should never be reduced to repeating what is contained in decades old textbooks, but must be based in active scholarship – in asking research questions of relevance to our times today, and to our society.And in any case, can it really be any more esoteric than quantum physics?  In my experience, when I look at the work of my colleagues in the humanities and social scientists, it is always far more based in the needs of now and here that anything.
 
Science that has economic impact is already privileged in our funding system. It has access to funding through MBIE, both via Endeavour programmes and Smart Ideas funding. Health research has its own funding mechanism, through the Health Research Council. We could argue about the relative amounts of funding that are awarded through these different mechanisms, but the fact remains: the Marsden Fund is the only funding source that operates even-handedly across disciplines.
 
The Marsden Fund is not a partisan beast. It was set up by Simon Upton, when he was the responsible Minister for the National Government in 1992. It was established to support research excellence – based on discipline specific assessment of what excellence is – because it has long been understood by scientists, and in scientific communities, that the path from fundamental research to impact is a long and unpredictable one. Trying to ‘pick winners’ when funding fundamental science is a fools task: the impact is real, but it is measurable only at a collective level.The context we are currently in, with our Science and University funding systems being reviewed, is also important. There are significant changes on the cards in the next years, and we all understand that. Changes to the PBRF or to the overheads paid to our universities might change the overall equation in terms of funding the vital work done by the humanities and social scientist in Aotearoa New Zealand. But none of those decisions have yet been made public. As it stands, this decision is an outrageous indictment on the research funding system in Aotearoa, and our collective understanding of what scholarship is.
 
Scientists who take pride in your work on ‘fundamental’, or ‘blue skies’ topics? Watch out. You will be next if we let this stand.
“
 
Professor Nicola Gaston, FRSNZ
Usual disclaimer that I am CD of MacD and currently funded by Marsden.
 
I’m also really fucking mad but you don’t have to print that bit. Will go take a walk – thanks for the opportunity to comment.
N
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Michael Plank @michaelplanknz.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
This is so backward 1. Science is more than just commercialisable widgetry 2. Making progress on our biggest problems (climate change, infectious diseases, misinfo to name a few) will need more collaboration between STEM and hum/social sci not less.
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David Welch @welchdavid.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Handy RStudio editor features: Duplicate line Opt+Cmd+Up/Down (PC is Shift+Alt+Up/Down) Add multiple cursors Ctrl+Opt+Up/Down (PC is Ctrl+Alt+Up/Down)
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